now my life is sweet like vanilla is
by Red On My Ledger
Summary: SPOILERS FOR THOR 2! Thor's having a hard time coping. The Avengers and Jane are there for him, but can they really help someone who's lost so much so fast? And what will Thor do when he realizes that that his little brother still has some tricks up his sleeve? A story about two brothers moving forward, letting go, and acclimating to strange Midgardian customs.
1. No Remedy For Memory

Chapter One: _No Remedy For Memory_

_And there's no remedy for melody_

_Your face is like a melody_

_It won't leave my head_

_Your soul is haunting me and telling my that everything is fine_

_But I wish I was dead_

_- Dark Paradise, Lana Del Rey_

"So, Loki's dead for real this time, right?" Tony asked, taking a swig of scotch and raising an eyebrow at the demigod sitting sullenly on his couch. Jane sat next to him, a caring hand clasped over his.

"Yes," Thor coughed, trying to hide how his voice had just cracked.

Tony wanted to reply with a "Good" or "Awesome" or "About time", but seeing Thor look so broken caused him to just nod and take another drink.

"Sorry," Bruce muttered. He was sitting in the armchair next to the couch and it was obvious that he was just as conflicted as Tony was.

"You said he died with honor?" Steve asked. He was standing, leaning against the windowed wall, arms crossed, sunlight streaming in over him, highlighting his already golden features.

"He died saving my life," Thor said, sounding a tad stronger than before, but that didn't last for long. His face sank, almost as if he was just realizing something, those electric blue eyes filled with such a sadness that it even made Natasha's heart clench. "My apologies, friends," Thor said, standing up from the couch. "I am not feeling too well."

The room stayed silent, everyone looking towards Tony or Steve for answers - all except Thor, whose eyes were glued to the white tiled floor.

Steve raised his eyebrows at Tony, as if to say_ it's not my house_. "Uh, right," Tony finally said. Thor looked up at him. "Let me show you where your room's at." He set his empty glass on the counter and led the way down the hall and up the stairs. "So yeah, kitchen, living room, you saw that. Gym's on the bottom floor. Full roof access - I keep the door to there locked though, so if you want to go up there and, I don't know, summon some thunder or whatever, just ask JARVIS and he'll open it up for you."

"JARVIS?"

"He's kind of like my butler," Tony said. "Except I made him and he isn't an actual person." Thor made a confused face. "Might be easier to show than to explain. JARVIS?" He called out.

"Yes, sir?" The robotic monotone answered back.

Thor flinched and whipped his head around. "Where is he?"

"Everywhere, nowhere, in the walls," Tony shrugged. "Doesn't really matter. He's here if you need anything and can't find me or Rogers or Banner or anyone. Just call out like I did and he'll always answer back." Thor nodded. "So, roof, yeah. My room's on the floor above this one, so's is Bruce's room. Steve and you have this floor. Natasha and Clint are in and out, but when they're in they share the guest room on the first floor." The demigod nodded again.

They reached the door to Thor's room, and Tony opened it, leading the way in. He pointed to the west side of the room, to where another door was, white and open. "You have your own bathroom, too. This floor doesn't get balconies, but, like I said, roof's open, and that's just a couple stories up." Thor nodded again. He looked like a lost puppy, trying to find his way in a new world full of different technology and people. Tony forced a smile. "You need anything else, Point Break?"

"I am fine," Thor said, forcing a weak smile back.

"Okay," Tony said with a short nod. He started to head out of the room, but turned around once he got to the door. "Oh, we're getting Chinese tonight, I think." Thor made another confused face and Tony mentally kicked himself and put acclimating Thor to Midgard at the top of his list. "It's food. It's good."

Thor mouthed an_ oh_.

"I'll just get you what I get. You'll like it." Thor nodded and Tony tapped his hand on the door nervously before leaving the blond alone, closing the white door behind him.

Thor kicked his shoes off next to the door, pulled off his armor and hung it up in the walk-in closet he found in the bathroom. Now he just wore his usual under armor - a maroon long-sleeved undershirt and dark pants. He splashed some water from the bathroom sink onto his face, studied his face in the mirror before patting it dry, then walked back into the bedroom and sat on the end of the bed. He looked to his left, towards the slightly open window, towards the stunning view of New York in the middle of the afternoon.

He couldn't help but to think of the last time he was in New York, and how Loki had been there, and how they had fought on the balcony of this very building. He couldn't help but to think of how he tried to reach out to his little brother, and how the dark haired man had just pushed further away. It hadn't been the stab that stung.

As he looked out at the skyline - the buildings of all shapes and sizes, the sun still sitting cheery in the sky, birds chirping and car horns blaring - he thought of how much his little brother would like this city. He was sure of it.

Loki had always called him an oaf, and right then he was really feeling like one. Why did all of his thoughts seem to revert back to his bitter brother? It had been over a month since his brother had passed, since his mother had passed too, so why did it feel like just yesterday?

Thor had always been proud of his ability to move on rather quickly from misfortune, so why was he having such a tough time now?

After all that had gone down between the two brothers, one would think Thor would be at more of a neutral status, but he was far from it. He was numb with sadness, with anger and pain. He had cried more than he was willing to admit to, but he was no longer sure he had any more tears left, and his brother was such a fool.

Such a fool. A sorry, sorry fool, fading and breaking in his arms. Much too fragile to be a god. Much too fragile to be his brother.

The memory flooded over Thor and he choked back a sob. No, he would not cry. Not again.

He cleared his throat and stood up, walking over to the window and pulling the curtains, cloaking the room in darkness. He went back over to the side of the bed and crawled under the covers, turning over on his side and shutting his eyes tight, willing himself to sleep so that he could, if only for a few short hours, remember how his brother was, before it all, than how his brother ended up.

* * *

"Guy's a mess," Tony said when he walked back into the living room. He grabbed his glass off the counter and went to the bar, grabbing the bottle of scotch and getting a re-fill.

"He lost his mother and his brother within days of each other," Bruce said slowly. "I'd be worried if he was his normal, peppy self."

"It's gonna take time for him to adjust to everything," Steve added. "His life's turned upside down. All we can do is be there for him."

Tony almost made a comment about how Steve would be able to relate to that. _Almost_. Now wasn't the time to be snide though, and Tony, being a genius, knew that.

"How was he living with you?" Clint piped up from the corner of the room, voice level, aiming his question at Jane.

"Quiet," Jane answered after a moment. "Well, quiet for _him_, I should say," She almost laughed. "You know, I was there. When it happened. I saw the whole thing. Ever since then, he's just been... Quiet."

Natasha nodded understandingly, but kept her pretty face passive. Bruce muttered a _yeah_.

"Well, Avengers assemble," Tony said once downed his drink. "Operation Make Thor Happy has just begun."

* * *

_"You're so dramatic, brother."_

_"I am not," The dark haired boy replied, smiling sheepishly. "I'm being honest."_

_"You're being honestly dramatic, how about that?" The blond boy laughed. His brother shushed him and the two peaked around the pillar they hid behind._

_It was late at night, well after curfew, and Loki had a great idea. A great, rule breaking idea. He had described it to his brother has "possibly one of the greatest adventures they'll ever embark on", and so it didn't take much convincing after that for Thor to tag along._

_On their way out of the castle, however, they caught sight of the guards standing watch, which was why they had been hiding behind a column for the last few minutes. Loki was trying to think of a way to sneak past without getting caught, Thor was just wanting to walk out like they owned the place because, well, one day one of them would._

_The younger boy turned towards his brother. "Do you have a stone?" He whispered._

_Thor shook his head No._

_"Try and find one. That, or something else we could throw."_

_Thor nodded and looked around him. He spotted a few pebbles lying a couple feet away, but they were out of the pillar's shielding protection. He tapped his brother on the shoulder and the pointed at the rocks. They weren't too far out there, but they were still out there and that still made the dark haired boy a little more than worried that they would get caught. He made a face, sighed, looked around to see if there was anything closer near them, saw nothing, and then reluctantly nodded._

_Thor, as quietly as he could, crawled out from behind the pillar, reaching out his left hand and grabbing the little rocks, keeping his bright blue eyes locked on the unaware guards the whole time. He retreated back behind the pillar, holding out his hand to his brother._

_Loki took the pebbles out of his brother's hand, poked his head out around the column, and threw the rocks. They landed with plunks and thuds and scattered across the ground, the sound drawing the attention of the two guards._

_The guards looked to each other, and the one on the right nodded his head to the side, silently telling the other guard that the noise came from over there. The other guard nodded and the two walked over towards the source of the sound, leaving a direct and open path for the two brothers to escape. Loki grinned at his brother, Thor smiled back, and the two darted out from behind the pillar, making their way off the palace grounds without getting caught._

Thor woke with a start. It was much later and much darker. He looked over at the digital clock on his bedside table. 2:45 AM. He groaned and rolled over. He knew he wouldn't be getting any more sleep tonight, he was wide awake.

And he was... Almost happy.

He wasn't used to waking up happy, not anymore, not since... He usually dreamed of either his mother getting stabbed or of his brother disintegrating in his arms. But this dream had been a happy memory, centuries old, one that he was sure he had forgotten long ago.

He didn't know how to feel anymore. He was relieved to have not had a nightmare, relieved to have been able to remember he and his brother at a happy time. But he was upset because a memory was all it was, was all his brother was. He was upset because those days were long over and they could never go back because his brother was gone and he could never come back.

And his almost happiness morphed into a dark cloud, and that's something he was used to feeling like nowadays.

He sighed and climbed out of bed, walking to the door and leaving the room. He went back downstairs, back down to the living room that had been full earlier but was now empty and dark, aside from the city glowing outside the large window taking over the entire north wall and a few beeping lights shining off of Tony's various electronics.

The blond walked over to the window, his arms wrapped around himself to keep warm, and looked out at the skyline. If he thought Loki would like this city during the day, then he knew he would _love_ it at night. He smiled to himself at the thought.

"Your brother threw me out of this window, you know," A voice snapped Thor out of his thoughts. He turned around to see Tony, wearing pajama bottoms and a charcoal robe, arc reactor on full display. "Well, not this exact window, I had it replaced, of course. But it was this wall and this floor and everything. Come to think of it, I had to have a lot of things replaced because of him. Your brother wasn't a cheap date," The billionaire smiled at him.

Thor laughed a bit, and looked back out at the skyline. "He would have loved this city."

"He did," Tony said. "He loved it so much that he tried to take it over," He chuckled, but then his expression turned serious. "I am sorry about that, Thor. About your brother. I know I may not have been on the best of terms with him or anything, but I know what it's like to lose someone that you care about. And hearing that he...passed...the way he did, trying to save you, tells me that he wasn't all bad."

Thor looked over at his friend. "Thank you, Stark."

"So, not to get all sappy like a chick flick here, I just don't want you to feel alone in this. I mean, we've _all_ been there. Steve lost his everything, woke up one morning in a different time. Natasha's lost more than I think any of us realize, so has Clint. And Bruce's afraid to get anything in the first place, so..." His voice trailed off.

"Did Lady Pepper ask you to talk to me?" Thor asked after a moment.

"Might have said it would be a good idea," Tony answered with a light laugh. "But I do mean it. Okay, Point Break?"

"I appreciate it, Stark." Thor smiled a real, true smile at his friend.

"You slept through Chinese," Tony said, changing the subject to something less heavy. Tony didn't do heavy. "You're a deep sleeper. I tried to convince Bruce to do his party trick to wake you up, but I was the only one that thought that'd be a good idea," He shrugged.

Thor laugh, an honest laugh. "I am sorry. I come from a long line of deep sleepers."

"And I come from a long line of no sleepers," Tony said. "Food'll still be good tomorrow. We can just reheat it."

"Reheat?"

Tony mentally kicked himself again. "Right. I keep forgetting you don't know too much modern Midgard lingo. That's gonna change, if I have anything to say about it."

Thor smiled and was about to reply when something caught both of their attentions.

A loud _boom_ and a bright light out on the balcony. It shook the ground and roared through the walls.

"Were you bringing friends?" Tony asked.

"Not that I know of," Thor said, walking out the glass door to the balcony and never taking his eyes off the light. It looked familiar and then, at the same time, it didn't. Whatever - _who_ever - it was had not travelled by Bifrost.

And there weren't many that couldn't travel by Bifrost.

There was only _one_ that could travel without the Bifrost.

Thor felt his breath catch and he swore his heart stopped. It couldn't be. There was no one. It wasn't possible. He had watched his brother die, he had died in his arms, he had faded gray and turned to dust and...

...And they never found a body when they went back to retrieve him.

And this light was a pale green, with shocks of gold.

And Thor knew how Loki loved green and gold.

A whirlwind of emotions rang through Thor - confusing, happiness, apprehension, rage, doubt - as he gingerly stepped closer to the dimming light. He wanted to call out, but he couldn't. No, no, he_ wouldn't_. He would sound like a fool, like an unstable fool. So he got close and he watched and watched until the light faded away and all that was left was his little brother, crouched down on the balcony.

Tony felt his jaw drop.

The black hair man looked up and their eyes locked and Thor felt something twist in his chest but he would not cry, not in front of _him_. Thor fixed his face into one of seriousness, hoping it masked his shock but knowing that Loki would notice his surprise anyways. Loki curved his mouth into a half smile and stood up, never breaking eye contact with his brother.

"We have a lot to talk about."

* * *

A/N: Hey! Long time no see, huh?! Things have been crazy, blah blah _blah_, but I'm baaack with new things!

For those of you that are/were following my story, Forgiveness, don't lose hope! I'm going to be making some edits on it this week, re-posting all of the chapters, and picking the whole thing back up again. So, if you've had your hopes up that that story wasn't over, then you can uncross your fingers because _it's not over_. Far from, actually. So, yeah! Overhaul, and then new, as far as that fic goes.

Also, this fic's title comes from a Lana Del Rey song called Without You. Contrary to that song, and the song mentioned in the beginning of this chapter, there won't be any slash or anything on this. Sure, they're love songs, but I'm using it for brotherly love!

And expect a lot of bromance. Expect it. Because you're going to get it.

:)

Read, _review_, favorite, follow, tell your friends like it's a freeze ray.


	2. I'll Never Understand, But I'll Try To

Chapter Two: _I'll Never Understand, But I'll Try To_

_I've been watching all the time_

_And I still can't find the tack_

_And I wanna know, is it okay?_

_Is it just fine?_

_Or is it my fault?_

_Is it my lack?_

_- Red Red Red, Fiona Apple_

Thor couldn't believe his eyes.

Loki was...Alive? This whole time?

To say that Thor felt every emotion under the sun in a matter of seconds was a gross understatement. Pure joy, genuine disorientation, and red hot anger. It took him a moment to gather his thoughts and when he had all his ducks in a row his mouth could only form one word. A shaking, broken "Why?"

That may have only been one, simple word, but Loki knew all the different questions that one word raised and, in turn, all the answers it asked for. The raven haired demigod lifted his head slightly, and his smile faded a bit. "Why, what?" Loki knew, but he never liked to make things easy.

"Why did you let me think you were dead?" Thor's voice, no longer broken, roared. "Why did you let me, this whole time, blame myself for it -"

"I didn't know you would blame yourself -"

"_Yes, you did_," Thor was convinced. He knew his brother, and he knew Loki would think of every possible outcome, every possible scenario, before acting on something. "You_ knew_ I would blame myself. How could I not?" Thor waited a beat before asking, "How could _you_?"

Loki sighed and looked down. "I come with news -"

"No, I want answers. Now, Loki."

"And you will get them," Loki said calmly, coolly. He gestured to the door Thor had walked out of. "May I come in?"

Thor stared at his little brother for a moment before turning and leading the way inside. He knew, having years of experience, how to handle his mischievous little brother, and he knew that if he wanted honest answers then he would need to play along, if only for a little while.

Tony still had his mouth hanging open, still looked shocked, as his dark brown gaze followed the two demigods as they made their way over to his couch. He shuffled after them, feeling and moving not unlike a zombie in some sort of dream. "Uh," He finally managed to say, pointing at Loki like he was a bear sitting on his couch and not a man everyone had thought was long dead. "I know I said I was sorry about him and all, but I'm not sure how I feel about him being in my house. Again. Last time he wanted to have a playdate, it didn't end well for my checkbook."

"You said you had news?" Thor said shortly, ignoring Tony's comment and gaping expression, sitting down next to his brother on the plush, white couch. Loki crossed his legs, sat with his back ramrod straight. Tony, still in a daze, sat in the armchair, both confused and on edge. He'd feel much more comfortable if he was wearing his suit and not a revealing night robe. Tony kept his mouth shut; Thor wasn't the only one in the room brimming with curiosity.

"Something happened," Loki said vaguely, glancing over at Tony as if to make sure the billionaire wasn't about to shoot him with a blast of energy. He wasn't sure he would be able to handle that too well, after everything. "In Asgard."

"You've been in Asgard?" Loki winced slightly at the question, and Thor could see the wheels in his brother's mind turning, racking his brain for a reply. "I want the truth, Loki." Loki sighed again and readjusted how he was sitting. He was antsy, nervous, but _why_? Something seemed to click in Thor's head and his face went dark. "What did you do?"

"Why is it always something that_ I_ did?" Loki grinned like he had just told a joke only he and Thor knew. His brother just looked at him. Loki's expression turned serious once again. "After you and that woman -"

"_Jane_ -"

"Left Svartalfheim," Loki continued as if his brother had not corrected him. He knew what her name was, he just chose not to use it. "I returned to Asgard and..." His voice trailed off.

Thor's heart sped up with worry.

"I came to Odin in the form of a guard and told him that I had neither you nor her had been found, but Loki's body had," Loki continued. "He didn't seem all that surprised, to be quite honest. He just gave me a short nod and turned his back, going over to sit back down in that gold throne of his, and when his back was turned I..." He stopped, trying to find his words. He wasn't upset, he was just beating around the bush. He was choosing his words carefully. "I cast a spell on him. One that sent him into an unconsciousness, not unlike the Odinsleep he so loves to frequent, and then I locked him in a chamber and hid the key. I then cast an enchantment over myself, shifting into the Allfather." Loki finished like it was nothing because to him it probably was nothing, Tony thought.

Thor blinked, trying to process everything he had just been told. "You've been parading around as father?"

Loki just shrugged.

"That's weird," Tony mumbled quietly, more to himself than to either of the demigods.

"Why would you do that?" Thor shook his head, confused.

"I saw another opening, a second chance to rule, and so I took it. According to you, you didn't want the throne anyways." And the way Loki said it almost made it sound like he had done his older brother a favor.

"But lying to the people of Asgard? Lying to father, and _me_? Locking father away in some cell?" Thor stood up from the couch, towering over a still sitting and still calm god of mischief.

"He did the same to me, if you remember right," Loki mumbled, and Tony could barely make out what he said. Thor probably didn't hear at all, it was so quiet and the blond was so worked-up.

"What in all the realms would possess you to do that? What would make you think that that would be a good idea?" His voice boomed and echoed and Tony was sure the other Avengers would be getting up and coming down to see what all the noise was about and _oh, the looks on their faces..._ Tony checked his robe pocket to make sure he had his phone on him, camera at the ready. Steve's face was sure to be a Kodak moment. Tony would have laughed at the thought of it if he wasn't still concerned with the villain sitting on his couch.

"I honestly don't see what the problem is," Loki said, looking up at Thor, not showing any signs of standing to match his brother's height.

"I feel like you're holding out on us, Reindeer Games," Tony said after a moment of watching the brothers have a staring contest. "You said you had news, and that doesn't really qualify as news, in my book."

"Yes," Loki said, breaking off his eye contact with the god of thunder to glance over at the man of iron. "There is more."

"And don't spare us any details," Tony added.

"I was holding court, telling everyone of the death of the second son and of your wish to protect the people and how you told me that you felt you couldn't do that from a chair," He said. "I was going to use your exact words," He added as a side note, looking at his brother with green, puppydog eyes that _almost_ made Thor's anger mellow out. "But, just as I was about to do so, a sort of...fog came over me. I had never felt anything like it before. It was like a cloud overwhelming me, draining my magic, tearing down the form of the Allfather and exposing me. And I... I couldn't stop it.

"I tried to summon as many shields as I could think of to counter it without causing attention, but it was too late. My facade faded for all to see that it was truly me," A small half smile grew on Loki's face. "Simply put, an uproar broke out, and I ran and took the quickest, most hidden route, and now I am here."

"You look so calm for someone who was just chased out of their kingdom by a mob," Tony muttered.

"You left Asgard without a king," Thor said.

"Oh, no," Loki held up his hands and shook his head. "No, no. I left a note. For Sif. It explained the situation, said where to find the Allfather, and had the key to his cell attached."

"Always thinking of others," Tony grumbled and slouched into the armchair.

Loki's green eyes shot back to Tony. "I would not leave Asgard without a king. No matter how unfit that king might be."

Thor sat back down on the couch, looking slightly calmer now that he knew his father was back on the throne, but he was still obviously angry. "_How_ are you here, though?" He asked, looking over at his brother. "You died in my arms."

Loki smiled wickedly. "Deception, Thor. Are you ever _not_ going to fall for it?"

Thor's frown deepened and he looked back down at the floor.

He still couldn't believe this was happening. He wasn't sitting next to his brother on the couch, there was no way, because his brother was dead and he had watched him die, he had _felt_ him die, and had dreamt of it almost every night for over a month, so this _wasn't happening_. Thor looked back over at Loki, a question on his face that Loki already knew.

Loki sighed. "You didn't really think I would go to your aid against that monster, did you? That would have been a recipe for disaster, _obviously_. I wasn't willing to risk myself just to save your hide." He said, voice low and sharp. He hoped Thor would fall for his biting bluff, hoped the oaf wouldn't see through to the fact that Loki was worried for Thor, was afraid he was going to die if he didn't do something, was afraid that he would never see the blond again, afraid he'd never be able to regain his trust, because Loki couldn't feel love or fear or regret or remorse because _God forbid Loki feel_. The more acidic his words tasted, in Loki's opinion, the better.

"Father is handling everything then?" Thor asked after a bit. It was a terrible question, and everyone in the room knew it. They knew Thor just wanted to keep the conversation going, to keep talking to the man he thought he'd never get to talk to again.

"Your father is, yes."

Thor almost commented on that, but held his tongue. He would talk to Loki about all of _that_ eventually, but now wasn't the time.

The three sat in silence for what felt like much longer than it actually was. Thor kept his eyes on the floor, and Loki kept his eyes on Thor, and Tony kept switching between the two brothers. He was having his own set of issues taking all of this in. He may have been a genius, but he was having a tough time grasping everything Loki had told them. Maybe it was because he was slowly convincing himself that the god of mischief had left something out.

His magic just...failed? That didn't sound right.

Tony made a mental note to investigate that further later.

Right now, all he knew was that Loki had, once again, lied. That was the base of everything, and he was positive that Thor didn't see it that way and he was just as positive that Loki would try his best to warp it so not to sound like the villain everyone thought he was...

...Because Thor was in denial and he wanted his brother back, but Tony was convinced Loki had changed from the brother Thor once knew...

...Because Loki wanted redemption and Tony saw right through the god's act and knew that he wanted nothing more than Thor's trust back because, no matter what he said with his silver tongue, he still had a tough time convincing himself that Thor wasn't his blood...

Even after everything, even despite their plethora of differences, Tony could tell that Loki couldn't fully brainwash himself into thinking that Thor wasn't family - though that would never be something he would admit to. And even after the riff that had formed between them, Thor couldn't let Loki lose himself to whatever demons he had. Thor couldn't lose Loki, not again.

Tony looked at the clock on his phone. It was almost five in the morning, and the sun was just starting to make its way up into the sky, soft pinks and blues and yellows and oranges tearing through the ebbing night sky.

"Should I tell everyone the, uh, situation?" He asked the other two, slightly disappointed that the rest of the team hadn't come down to see what all the ruckus was. "I don't think they'll believe it until they see it, though."

Loki showed no expression, he just looked down. Thor thought it over for a moment before nodding slowly. "Yes, they should know."

"I think they'd like to know sooner rather than later," Tony said. "I know Natasha likes her sleep, but I think she'd rather be awake if you're crazy little brother's under this roof." He laughed, but he was the only one that saw the humor, and so his smile quickly faded into a straight line. He cleared his throat. "Right, then." And headed up the stairs to wake the team.

* * *

"Sorry if I'm a little less than understanding here," Clint yelled and wriggled as Steve held him back.

Natasha shook her head, everything slowly sinking in.

Loki had told them the story he had told Thor and Tony, nearly word for word. Thor had sat quietly in the same place next to him on the couch, and Jane - who had stayed in one of the guest rooms - had sat down next to him. Bruce looked worried beyond belief, and Tony noticed him do some deep breathing. Natasha was practically vibrating with hatred, and she stared green fury at the dark hair demigod on the couch. Steve had been shocked, but reeled it in when he saw Clint lunge at Loki, putting his consternation on the back burner in favor of stopping a fight between an infuriated agent and the god who had wronged him. Tony reclaimed his seat in the armchair, observing all of this, Pepper sitting in the chair across from him, on the other side of the couch.

"Let go!" Clint snapped at Steve, who just pulled him back more. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't rip his head off right here, right now!"

Thor stood up from the couch, his hand looking ready to summon his hammer.

"Clint," Natasha said, voice stern and full of warning. She knew that look on Thor's face, but (even though she also knew how delirious with madness Clint felt at the sight of Loki, because she felt it too) she knew he would be a lot happier without the wrath of Thor. "You need to calm down."

"Calm down? Calm down!" He barked a laugh and squirmed more in Steve's hold. "Tasha, it's_ Loki_! Why am I the only one that seems to be having a proper reaction here?!"

It was Loki's turn to speak up. He stood up from the couch and held up his hands defensively. "I mean you no harm -"

"Oh," Clint laughed derisively. "He comes in peace."

"I came only to speak with my br - with _Thor_, and that is all," He mentally kicked himself for almost slipping up there because _Thor's not his brother_. "I will take my leave now," Loki smoothed out his clothes - out of habit or nerves, Tony thought, since they were far from wrinkled - and headed back over towards the door he had come in through.

Thor followed quickly behind him. "Brother, wait."

Loki turned to face the blond, cocking his head to the side. "Why do you insist on calling me that?" He said, loud enough so only Thor could hear.

"Because that's what we are," Thor said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Where are you gonna go?" Tony called out. He had stood up from the chair and was making his way over to the two men.

"I have not decided yet. Not Asgard nor here, though. You will not see me again, Stark, so do not worry."

Tony made a face and thought fast. _No_, he didn't want Loki around. _No_, he didn't think it was a good idea. _No_, Clint would not be happy with Tony even entertaining the thought that was running through his head. But Tony knew that Thor needed his brother, and vice versa (even if Loki wouldn't admit it). Whether that be for penance or closure or something else, Tony didn't know. What he_ did_ know was that he wouldn't be able to sleep too well at night knowing that Thor would never get what he needed because Tony was too blinded by his indignation towards the other god.

He thought back to Loki's story, and to how he felt it was missing something. Was it possible that Loki was declawed? Drained of his magic? Could that even be a thing? And if that wasn't the situation, then what _was_ missing from his story? Because something _definitely_ was, and Tony_ needed_ to know.

Tony was a lot of things, and curious was definitely one of his main traits.

Now he just needed to think of a genuine excuse. One that wouldn't cause suspicion on the team, one that everyone would, when they thought about, have to agree with.

An idea came to Tony's mind and he thought it was rather brilliant. "SHIELD's not gonna like that too much. You just running off into nowhere like that."

"Excuse me?" Loki raised an eyebrow at Tony.

"If Fury found out that we saw you, that you were in my house and that we just let you go, he'd have our heads," Tony said with a shrug. He looked over at Thor. "I bet he would want us to keep tabs on Rock of Ages, here." He raised his eyebrows at Thor, hoping the thunder god would read between the lines.

Luckily, Thor was smarter than Loki gave him credit for. He nodded.

"Fury would want us to keep him close," Tony continued. He looked back over at Loki, who was staring at Tony like he was a wearing a tutu and riding a unicycle. Tony smirked. A tutu and a unicycle might be more sane and safer than Operation Reunite the Brothers, but hey, Tony liked to take risks. "Yeah, no way. Can't just let you go and travel to another realm. Not gonna happen."

"I -"

"That's just dangerous," Tony cut Loki off. "We're the Avengers. We can't allow a war criminal to go hopping through the branches of Ygg... Ygg..." Tony snapped his fingers, trying to think of the word. He had taken to reading up on some Norse myths after the whole New York thing.

"Yggdrasil," Thor offered.

Tony pointed at him. "Yeah, that. Can't have that," He shoved his hands in his robe pockets and walked back over towards the group of stunned superheroes taking up the living room, all nonchalance and confidence.

Clint had stopped writhing and now just stared daggers on Tony and Loki both. Natasha's face was as unreadable as ever, but Tony would bet half his fortune that she wasn't too pleased right then. Steve knew what Tony's real reasoning was, and Tony could tell that the star spangled man was torn between helping two brothers reconcile and wanting to have the dark haired one as far away from Midgard as possible. Bruce was in the same boat. He just glanced around at everyone, arms crossed, unsure of everything himself, relating to everyone and weighing the pros and cons in his quick mind. Pepper and Jane looked lost and slightly frightened, both of them looking at Tony and Thor like they were mad.

"There's another empty room on the same floor as Thor, you'll stay in there, that way your big brother can keep an eye on you," Tony said. "Thor'll give you the low-down on everything, rules and all that. We'll do a grand tour and we'll call Fury later and let him know what's up. Until then, though, I'm gonna sleep," He sniffed. "Been a long morning, I'm exhausted, and I know just about everyone else here is too. So let's all just go back to our separate rooms and, I dunno, sleep on it. Sleep it off. Something like that."

"This is -" Clint started to yell.

"My house, my rules," Tony interrupted. "Bedtime, bird boy. We'll talk in ten hours, over coffee."

* * *

A/N: Hello again! Wow, okay, I am so shocked at all of the support this story has gotten already. Your favorites and follows and reviews all mean so, so much, and I am in love with all of you. Legit. It means the world. I'd buy y'all flowers if I could.

I hope you ended up like chapter two as much as chapter one! I'm going to try and update this _at least_ once a week, hopefully and probably more than that, so just so we're all on the same page!

Also, I'm working on writing a book and getting it published, _and_ I just auditioned for a movie last week, so it'd be _super_ cool if y'all would pray and send good vibes and cross your fingers! I'd appreciate it!

Read and review, favorite and follow too! Tell your friends like it's going out of style!

:) :)


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